U.S. returning looted Tyrannosaurus skeleton to Mongolia

May 06, 2013|Reuters

By Deborah Zabarenko

WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - A 70-million-year-old dinosaurskeleton from the Gobi Desert that was smuggled to the UnitedStates in pieces and auctioned for more than $1 million wasreturned on Monday by the U.S. government to Mongolia.

The huge Tyrannosaurus bataar's skull was on display at arepatriation ceremony near the United Nations in New York, whereofficials of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan and theU.S. Immigration and Customers Enforcement (ICE) formally turnedover the nearly complete skeleton to Mongolian officials.

Mongolia demanded the return of the 8-foot-tall (2.4 metre),24-foot-long (7.3 metre), mostly reconstructed cousin of theTyrannosaurus rex last year after commercial paleontologist EricProkopi sold it at a Manhattan auction last spring for $1.05million.

Prokopi, based in Gainesville, Florida, bought and soldwhole and partial fossilized dinosaur skeletons.

U.S. authorities filed charges against Prokopi in Octoberand seized the skeleton, which is comprised of fossilized boneswelded to a metal frame.

"This is one of the most important repatriations of fossilsin recent years," ICE Director John Morton said in a statement."We cannot allow the greed of a few looters and schemers totrump the cultural interests of an entire nation."

Morton said the repatriation would "undo a great wrong byreturning this priceless dinosaur skeleton to the people ofMongolia."

Mongolian President Tsakhia Elbegdorj thanked U.S.prosecutors, judges, investigators and paleontologists in astatement: "Our two countries are separated by many miles, butshare a passion for justice and a commitment to putting an endto illegal smuggling."

In addition to the skeleton, the United States is alsohelping to return more fossils to Mongolia, Manhattan U.S.Attorney Preet Bharara said.

The Tyrannosaurus bataar lived some 70 million years ago inwhat is now Mongolia, and its skeleton was discovered in 1946 ina joint Soviet-Mongolian expedition to the Gobi Desert,according to court and federal documents.

It was imported to the United States in 2010 from GreatBritain, with customs documents that falsely claimed itoriginated in Great Britain and was valued at $15,000, far belowits auction price.